How should the boss spend 10 million? Mainstream promotion channel combination strategy

From this article, you can learn about the mainstream marketing and promotion channels in the market and their respective characteristics. I believe it will provide some inspiration for my future work.

Theorem 1: Understanding the traffic distribution mechanism is the foundation for a single channel

For example, the application market has recommendations, rankings , hot searches, searches, etc. The traffic sizes in different places are different, and the trigger mechanisms are also different. For a single channel, understanding its traffic distribution mechanism can help us do a good job in that channel. There are two important indicators in the traffic distribution mechanism. The first is quality and the second is brand. When analyzing each channel later, we will combine the impact of these two indicators on traffic.

Theorem 2: Traffic will only become more expensive, and new channels must be continuously developed

The traffic of each channel is limited. Once it reaches a certain level, it is necessary to raise prices to grab traffic. For example, some precise traffic has relatively small amount due to its traffic distribution mechanism. To obtain more traffic, the cost needs to be increased. On the other hand, the prices of various channels will continue to increase over time. Many portals’ high-quality advertising space is generally sold out this quarter and the resources for the next quarter are generally sold out. The price of traffic has been rising. New channels often have lower costs due to less competition and lower unit price of traffic. This is the blue ocean effect. Therefore, constantly exploring new channels is also the focus of channel operations .

After understanding the above points, it will be easier to implement channels in practice. Below is a brief discussion of practical skills for the main channels.

1. Search

Baidu, 360, Sogou , Shenma, Google

The traffic distribution mechanism of a channel determines the quality of the channel. The traffic distribution mechanism of search is keyword triggering, which uses keywords to lock in the intended audience. In the past, people got information through television. After the emergence of search engines , people found that the experience was very good, whether it was physical search or virtual search, such as searching for physical objects on Tmall . However, the demand for physical search was relatively small, while the demand for virtual search was greater. For example, if you have a headache, search on Baidu.

The characteristics of search determine that the quality of users brought in is very high. Baidu has invested a lot of manpower and material resources to make the Baidu Search Division a core department. Its advertising system is indeed excellent, although many people complain that it is not as good as Google. The search business has also become a super cash cow. The author has come into contact with many advertising companies, and even their leaders have to admit that Baidu is the most effective in precision marketing , with the exception of some products. The reason why Baidu has good results not only depends on the keyword matching method, but the more important reason is that the Fengchao system is perfect, commercialized early, and has a large investment. Today, when we look at super advertising platforms such as Guangdiantong , Fanstong , and Sina Fuyi, there is still a big gap between them and Baidu in terms of advertising systems. The short development time is one aspect, and insufficient investment is also an important reason.

In terms of search, the product line is relatively rich, such as Pinzhuan, Huabiao, Shuangxiu, etc. Let’s talk about keyword bidding first.

According to Theorem 2, the CPC of search is very high. After reaching a certain level, the only way to obtain more traffic is to increase the CPC and grab the ranking. The result is a high CAC (user acquisition cost, CAC= conversion cost/payment rate). Putting aside factors such as brand, content, design, and activities, the effectiveness of search channels basically depends on the control of traffic, and the control of traffic basically depends on the selection of keywords and the bid price.

Here we will focus on the quality score: the quality score mainly reflects the degree of recognition of netizens for the keywords promoted by Baidu and the keyword creativity. (From Baidu Encyclopedia )

The quality is reflected in the traffic indicator, namely CTR ( click-through rate ). The better the quality, the higher the CTR.

For advertising systems, commercialization comes first. In order to maximize the benefits of each display, advertising platform developers hope to obtain more clicks within a limited display period, thereby obtaining more revenue. The higher the quality of the advertisement, the higher the CTR and the higher the profit. Therefore, almost all bidding ads have a quality indicator to ensure maximum advertising revenue. It can be said that quality is one of the most important indicators in the traffic distribution mechanism.

However, in the area of ​​search, quality does not play a big role, which is related to the characteristics of search traffic distribution. When users enter keywords, text link ads are displayed (now there are also many styles that can display graphic ads). Users tend to click directly on the first one. Data shows that the first two can account for more than 80% of the traffic. Such user habits result in the CTR of the first two items not being low, so the impact of quality on traffic will be very small. However, one advantage of high quality is that you can get a better ranking at a lower price, which helps to reduce costs.

Going back to the beginning, the key to the search channel lies in the selection of keywords and the bid price. Based on the product's target population and market maturity, including the Baidu index of industry terms, the number of competitors and brand strength, we comprehensively judge the magnitude of the search channel and make corresponding target plans, including the range of unit price per click, registration cost, payment cost, and daily budget range.

After the macro goals are planned, start the overall planning of the account. The account should be as large as possible, with a comprehensive plan and detailed units. Brand words and competitor words are easier to plan, but the difficulty lies in the layout of common words, core words, and long-tail words . The entire plan must ensure balanced traffic to ensure that more target groups are covered and to reduce the CPC of the entire account.

We believe that the traffic of search channels also needs to go through a process from the initial stage to the development stage and then to the mature stage.

In the initial stage, due to budget constraints, priority is given to keywords that are easy to convert. For example, brand words, and some competitor words with weak brand power, or some competitors that do not have brand words. In addition, long-tail words must be expanded. It’s better not to touch the Red Sea Ci.

During the development stage, it is necessary to increase the volume. What’s the point of using so many keywords if they are not used? The method of adjustment at this stage is mainly through data analysis , monitoring which plans are good and starting to expand traffic. In addition, core words should be covered, and competing products can be covered in large quantities. Focusing on traffic and conversion is the main goal of this stage.

When it reaches maturity, it can expand rapidly. In the early stage, you have to lock in the keywords and strive for ranking in the later stage. The bids on each platform change every day, and if you don’t grab the ranking, your traffic will be lost.

Let me talk about other Baidu products. According to current data, wireless traffic is larger, but PC conversion is slightly better, mainly because PC display effect is good, while wireless traffic is relatively chaotic, and the probability of users clicking wrong is higher. At the same time, the network has an impact. It was worse in the past, but now 4G and WIFI have made the wireless effect much better. If the product is of a certain quality, you must buy it. Don’t ask why, it’s a good deal. Like Baidu Wealth, rich players must try it. It has a good brand effect and a BD flavor. It is co-branded with Baidu and has a solid brand endorsement. The Huabiao is also worth a try, the display effect is handsome. I will not go into details here.

For Internet finance , the number of keywords should be between tens of thousands and millions (haha, I’m not in a position to disclose the specific details). According to rumors, Ping An Technology’s overall Internet business invests hundreds of millions in SEM annually, which is still slightly lower than education, healthcare, and tourism. This is mainly because the average AR PU value per person is high in industries such as education, medical care, and tourism. The cost of acquiring a user can be as high as RMB 10,000. For example, the highest bid for a single click in the medical industry was 999 before. For some specialized hospitals, the annual SEM investment is over 100 million yuan, with an average of about 300,000 yuan per day (not including rebates).

For some large platforms, SEM can be played according to the ideas of traditional media. We know that the effect of traditional media depends on creativity and exposure. If the creativity is 1 million, then the media must be at least 10 million or even more. Exposure is a greater factor in determining the effect, and SEM can also start with exposure.

Through millions of keywords, we can lock in more target users in this industry. Suppose that Baidu receives 1 billion searches from customers with financial management needs every day. If we want to display 100 million of them, how can we achieve this?

If we achieve this goal, we will be the number one in the industry in terms of search. By strengthening exposure for a period of time, we will not only be able to obtain a large amount of traffic, but also generate a certain brand influence. And through continuous exposure, it strengthens user impression and achieves brand effects similar to traditional media.

How to evaluate the magnitude? A simple method is to use weighted calculations such as the leading brand index, core word index, various consulting reports, and industry user growth . Complex methods require the use of technology to collect data and establish models for measurement.

Another simple approach is to follow the strategy. Closely follow the top few competitors with the largest investment volume, strive to be ranked first in all or part of the market, ensure that the traffic becomes the first in the industry, and form a leading competitive situation.

The last point is that you must use SEO , SNS, DSP , alliances , etc. to cooperate with SEM traffic, and the promotion page is crucial.

In general, SEM is one of the most important channels in the implementation of the entire channel operation system. It is not only related to the quality of traffic, but also because SEM is the most core user information decision-making and purchasing channel, it must be taken seriously and firmly grasped. I won’t mention other searches besides Baidu, just refer to Baidu directly.

2. Navigation

360, hao123, Sogou, 2345

Navigation belongs to general traffic, which has fixed positions and bidding positions. After calculation, the CPC of navigation is relatively low, which can be as low as one cent, so its registration cost is lower than that of search, but the payment cost is higher. In other words, the quality of the navigation channel is not as good as that of search.

Brand awareness was mentioned earlier. When placing fixed advertising spots, the higher the brand awareness, the wider the target audience, the greater the traffic, and the higher the cost-effectiveness. Therefore, companies with better brands are willing to place fixed advertising positions, such as famous sites and cool sites, which have long been monopolized by well-known domestic e-commerce companies, such as Taobao , Vipshop , and JD.com . Now the navigation product line is becoming more and more abundant, including bubbles, floating windows, hot words, etc. If the brand awareness is average, you can try the bidding position of navigation, such as 360's "Guess What You Like".

There are not many navigation channel techniques, and they are more suitable for well-known companies, or for attracting traffic during large-scale promotional activities. For example, when a company does a promotional activity, due to its high conversion rate , it is more suitable to introduce general traffic, but it is inappropriate to introduce expensive precise traffic.

For enterprises, when they have reached a certain stage of development and have accumulated a certain level of brand awareness, it is more appropriate to purchase navigation. On the one hand, traffic comes quickly, and compared with search, navigation traffic comes faster; on the other hand, due to the good brand awareness, the click-through rate will be greatly improved, and ultimately calculated into CPC, which is very cost-effective.

If you are doing large-scale promotional activities and public relations theme events, it is a good idea to buy a navigation. But you have to book it in advance, otherwise you won’t be able to buy it.

3. General

Baidu Union, Baidu DSP, information flow , DSP, vertical website

The CPC of general channels is also low, and slightly more accurate than navigation. DSP is in full swing abroad, but not so satisfactory in the country.

Guangdiantong, Toutiao , Sina Fuyi and other information flow have better effects than ordinary network alliances and DSPs, because social platforms have certain positioning capabilities, plus the platform has good stickiness and good reading experience.

The core lies in quality. The attractiveness of the material determines the CTR, which in turn determines the traffic and CPC.

Key point: upload multiple sets of materials and select the best ones.

This piece is very large and the operating techniques are different. But the difficulty will not be too great.

Other niche channels include wallpapers, WIFI, e-books, various alliances, vertical websites, etc.

The cooperation mode is generally CPA/CPS.

IV. Application Market

IOS and Android

The application market is of paramount importance. Currently, all major application platforms are not fully commercialized and there are not many ways to promote them.

Ranking : Mainly through WeChat Points Wall , about 2~3 yuan for one

CPT/CPD: CPT is suitable for well-known products and those with a wide audience. For CPD, it is not recommended.

ASO : The current highlight, similar to Baidu SEO, because the current CPD is different from bidding, it is impossible to obtain rankings through payment, so it is crucial to do ASO well.

Manufacturer pre-installation: starting from RMB 100,000, the final cost needs to be calculated

The application market will be the focus of future promotion, but it is currently very difficult to do well. A few companies have become popular by relying on event marketing , topping the app store charts and gaining a lot of traffic, but more applications do not have the opportunity to be displayed.

We have reason to believe that the commercialization of the application market is inevitable in the future, and a standardized and mature advertising platform will be born. Who is most likely to become the leader in the commercialization of mobile application distribution ?

5. T-type resources

1. Fixed brand advertising resources

T-type resources are scarce and expensive, making them the only choice for the rich.

It is suitable for brand communication, especially theme activities, and also for promotional activities.

Most T-type resources are booked on a long-term basis and have requirements for advertiser brands and content, including interactive creativity.

Due to the general trend of mobile terminals, APP splash screen ads are very popular, but the current prices are much lower than those of traditional brand resources.

The evaluation criteria for T-type resources can be calculated using CPC. The click volume can be evaluated by the display volume, and then whether the single CPC is cost-effective can be evaluated. Just like navigation, it is very suitable for use in large-scale promotional activities and public relations themed events.

2. WeChat resources

WeChat accounts, Moments , and self-media

WeChat occupies the largest traffic on mobile devices, has a high opening rate, and integrates communication, social networking, reading, and payment.

WeChat Public Platform , the largest original content creation platform in China, has gathered a large number of writers, who are often opinion leaders.

There are three ways to use WeChat resources for channel operation. The first is to find a professional to create a WeChat public account . For example, if you are in finance, find a writer who understands finance to do it. The effect will be better. Focus on the content and there is no shortcut.

The second is to directly pay for large-scale forwarding. It needs to be broken down into media tables to evaluate the unit price of each reading and the final output ratio. If you have the ability, you must find a few KOLs for in-depth cooperation. The specific cooperation method can refer to traditional brand communication.

The third part is the Moments, which is a treasure trove that can be explored in depth. You can either place ads in the Moments on the WeChat platform or ask someone to post ads in the Moments.